


Prologue

by econator



Series: Goodbye 2018, And Thanks For All The Fish [1]
Category: Formula E RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Airports, Angst, Family Drama, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Matchmaking, Non-Consensual Haircuts, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush, mentions of Andre Lotterer/James Rossiter, mentions of Jeandre, off-road buggy, track games
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-10-02 20:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17270468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/econator/pseuds/econator
Summary: Inspired by their Instagram stories.Mitch and Jev go to Ant's house for new years eve and a few days each side. They're the only people at the party who aren't mothertongue Portuguese speakers, so end up spending time together. (This delights Mitch, who's been so very into Jev for so long.)Later smut will be posted as separate works for the benefit of the aces and teens in the crowd.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For the purposes of narrative flow, I’ve omitted a few days of Jev angrily posting about revenge against his sister for paying him back for him shaving her head last year. Neither event was Jev’s finest moment. 
> 
> I’ve discarded the presence of Mitch’s Red Bull PR person girlfriend. I gather she was there from the Instagram pics and the girly squealing in the buggy video, but she doesn’t fit my head canon.
> 
> OMC "Fredo" is loosely based on someone who's in Ants stories a lot. And they get up in each others' comments a lot. And they go surfing together a lot. Apparently they own/ed a bar together? Anyway, yeah. Robin didn't fit the storyline, so he was replaced with Ant's BFF/partner/homeboy.

Ant snuggled into Fredo’s chest, half hypnotised by the surfing documentary playing on the TV. He felt overwhelmingly grateful for the warm body he was snuggled up against, and the warm bodies snuggled up against his. My family. He closed his eyes, letting the sound of the waves transport him to warm days on the beach, getting salty with the man who was absentmindedly stroking his arm.  
‘I love you,’ he said, rubbing his hand over Fredo’s flat tummy.  
He dropped a kiss on the top of Ant’s head. Love you too, Babe.’   
Ant’s phone buzzed, pulling him out of the moment. He debated whether he should check it, and decided that his man was more important than whoever was texting him. He kissed Fredo’s chest, and went back to the surfing documentary. Fredo interlaced their fingers, stroking Ant’s neck with his other hand.   
‘You aren’t going to get that?’  
‘You’re more important. I want to be present here, with you, enjoying the time alone together.’  
‘I really do love you, you know? New you, the you who takes sponsorship advice from Jev, that you has made me fall in love with you all over again.’  
Ant smiled, feeling a warm glow in his belly. He lifted his head, and kissed Fredo tenderly. ‘I like life after Red Bull more too. I love being able to post photos of your victories without worrying who’s going to get upset by me being myself.’ He settled back into Fredo’s embrace for a few moments until his phone buzzed like someone was calling. ‘Who is calling me? Do they not know it’s 2018, and we text this century?’ He dug his phone out his pocket, and saw Jev’s photo on the screen. Fredo paused the documentary, and gently squeezed Ant’s chest. ‘Hey brother, what’s up?’ Ant said, the English words feeling unfamiliar and clumsy on his tongue.  
‘My sister shaved my hair off on social media. I felt so ashamed, I reflex reposted the video to my feed, and now I can’t take it down without looking like I’m ashamed, and then I had another moment of freaking out that everyone knew and I shaved it all off with my beard trimmer, and oh God, Ant, what am I going to do? I need to get Lea back for this. This is so not cool! I’m going to kill her.’  
‘Woah, dude, take a breath. You can’t race in prison.’  
‘But what am I going to do? My parents are “not angry just disappointed” with us for getting into another fight on the holidays and fucking up the pictures. People are making rude comments about me on Instagram. Just aargh!’ Jev lapsed into silence.  
‘Breathe in nice and slow.’ Ant waited until Jev inhaled. ‘Now hold it.’ Ant was pretty sure he could hear the annoyed look as Jev obediently held his breath for the requisite four seconds of their usual routine. ‘Now exhale.’  
Jev exhaled loud and slow. ‘Thanks for interrupting my thoughts. What am I going to do, though? My branding is all about looking gorgeous. I look hideous.’  
‘Switch to video. I want to see for myself.’  
Ant shifted onto the other side of the couch and held the phone in front of him, before he accepted Jev’s video request. ‘Dude, you look like Jason Statham, all badass and minimalist.’  
‘But I’m so far from being Jason Statham. Not even winning the title stopped people from calling me extra. I’m just so far from the fearless badasses who star in action films.’  
‘You said bravery was action in the face of fear, not fearlessness.’  
The other side of the phone was silent for a long moment. Fredo leaned into the frame.  
‘Hey. You look gorgeous, Jev. Why don’t you do a photoshoot before Christmas, and you can give your dad the pretty Christmas photos he wanted?’  
‘That’s not the worst idea.’ Jev sounded unconvinced. Ant squeezed Fredo’s hand, leaning against his shoulder.  
‘Ant says you love having a makeup and wardrobe artist make you look glamorous. You‘ll feel less like killing your sister when you see what the photographer sees.’   
‘People have been commenting that I need to post a picture, but I don’t know what to do. Can I just wear a hat until spring?’  
‘No, no hat. Be proud of yourself for looking like an action star.’ Fredo pulled out his phone, and dialled a mutual friend in Paris, booking a photo session with all the trimmings while Jev buried his face in the crook of his elbow where it rested on the vanity. Fredo hung up with a flourish. ‘Done. She’ll help you rebrand.’  
‘How am I going to get through family Christmas? Fuck, my cousins are coming for new year’s. The ones who always mock me for being camp. Fuck, that’s going to suck!’  
‘Come to Portugal,’ Ant said. ‘We’re having a small party with a few friends. Nothing big, since the bar burned down.’  
‘Do you think I’ll get a reservation in the mountains this time of year? I don’t want to see anyone until I absolutely have to.’  
‘Come to us. We’ll drive up to see Mini Jev on the thirtieth. He thinks the sun shines out your ass.’  
‘You’re right. Loren’s kids love me for me. I’ll take them to the park after my shoot to help boost my mood. Then I’ll get out of as much family stuff as I can, and come to you for new year’s.’  
‘That’s the Jev we know and love! We’ve got enough spare rooms in this house that we can have you for a few days.’  
‘I’ll cook. It’s my new creative form.’  
‘Great,’ Fredo said, squeezing Ant’s shoulders. ‘I enjoy having company in the kitchen Let us know when your flight lands, and we’ll come pick you up.’  
‘Thank you. And thank you for talking me down.’  
‘Any time, man.’  
‘Message me.’ Fredo mimed with his thumbs. ‘Let’s talk party food. Okay?’   
‘Okay.’  
‘We’ll make place settings and table decorations worthy of your photography Instagram.’  
‘Okay.’  
After they’d said their goodbyes and hung up, Fredo turned to Ant. ‘The small Kiwi you started hanging out with last season likes Jev, doesn’t he?’  
‘Yeah. He’s painfully into Jev.’  
‘Invite him too.’  
‘He’s in New Zealand.’  
‘He’ll have a sim day in early January, like you. He needs to come home from Christmas.’  
‘Yeah. He had to go to a straight wedding this weekend. He probably feels like time with other queers.’  
‘It’s settled. We have the Boss drivers’ new year party at our house.’  
‘But not Andre. He’ll bring James, and they’ll be themselves for the week. The whole James thing is still a bit of a sore spot for Jev.’  
‘He didn’t know he was the side bitch?’  
‘Not until he saw their flat in Japan, and realised how basically married they were.’  
‘Poor guy. That’s a come-down from winning a title.’  
‘Yeah.’


	2. Rendezvous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mitch is surprised/delighted/super nervous when he bumps into Jev in Lisbon Airport's arrivals hall. So delighted, he makes sure they hang out while they wait for Ant to come pick them up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See Prologue for series notes

Mitch’s belly lurched as he caught sight of Jev’s easy gait across the arrivals hall, and realised that Ant had invited him too.  _ He looks so hot with the short hair. He really does. He’s like French Mark, with his beautiful clothes, and his lush beard _ . Mitch blushed and developed a sudden fascination with his feet when Jev turned around.  _ I really hope he didn’t catch me staring at him. That would be so embarrassing! I’m so glad the “non-European passports” queue is always shorter. I can be nonchalantly sipping a cup of coffee when he comes through the gate _ . Mitch shuffled forward with the rest of the queue.  _ That’ll set me up well for a few days of dedicated Jev time, watching him make his thinking pout, listening to him talk about stuff he’s excited about when his accent gets really strong and his face lights up and he talks with his hands. I might even be able to wrangle a new year’s kiss out of him. That would be amazing! I wonder if I can get any fireside cuddles _ . Mitch felt someone touch his elbow, and reflexively stepped out the way.

‘Mitch?’ Jev said behind him, sounding like he was smiling.

_ Shit, he saw me staring _ . Mitch made what he hoped wasn’t a nervous smile and turned around. ‘Jev!’

Jev pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around Jev’s waist, inhaling the tantalising combination of Jev and cologne and smoke from his jacket and savouring how small he felt in his arms for a brief moment. ‘How are you? Ant said you had to go to a straight wedding in New Zealand.’ Jev held him at arm’s length, looking into his eyes with the sort of uniquely Jev-ish intensity that always made Mitch feel like he was floating on rainbows.

‘Oh, you know, fine, I guess. I wasn’t allowed a plus one, and anyway it’s a big thing to ask someone to fly for three days to go to someone they don’t know’s wedding. And you? Your sister turned you into James Bond.’

Jev sheepishly ran his hand through his hair. ‘I’m still getting used to it. My family were savage, but isn’t that what family is for, isn’t it?’

Mitch looked across the arrivals hall to remind himself that he was in Lisbon, not Auckland, in defence against the almost overwhelming revertigo. ‘Yeah.’

Jev put his arm around Mitch’s shoulders. ‘You’re also here for Ant’s party, no?’

Mitch snaked his arm around Jev’s waist again. ‘Yeah. He invited you too?’

‘Yeah.’ Jev patted Mitch’s shoulder and stepped away. ‘I’ll see you outside. I should go join my own line.’

‘See you outside!’

Mitch watched Jev walk to the back of the queue that snaked most of the way across the room.  _ He really is the most beautiful person I’ve ever met _ .

‘Next!’ the passport officer called.

Mitch stepped forward, passport and ticket in hand.

 

He was definitely cool standing outside, waiting for Ant and Fredo. Not in the way he was hoping for, but glad that he’d bought a cup of coffee for Jev.  _ He’s going to think it’s romantic not creepy that I know how he drinks his coffee, right? God, I hope so _ . Mitch sipped his drink, rueing the decision to leave his gloves in London as he kicked his trainer heels against the concrete flower bed he had perched on. The chilly evening breeze ruffled his hair. 

‘Coffee,’ Jev said from behind him. ‘I’ll be right back.’

Mitch turned around. ‘I got you one.’

‘Double espresso, no milk, no sugar?’

He held out his arm instead of replying.  _ Not that I’ve been watching you closely for two years, or anything _ . Jev opened the paper cup and sniffed. 

‘Thank you. I really appreciate it.’

‘No worries.’ 

Jev lit up, and blew the stream of smoke downwind of Mitch. He took a sip of the coffee before perching on the planter next to Mitch. 

‘You look really good with the radical restyle,’ Mitch said, gently bumping their elbows together.  


‘Thanks.’ Jev looked at him with an unreadable expression on his face. He stared down the road as he took a long drag. ‘Can I tell you something really weird?’

‘Sure. Go ahead.’

‘I’m a little bit grateful to her for this haircut. Not the shitty nonconsensual haircut, obviously, but for showing me that our relationship isn’t as good as I thought it was.’

‘You thought buying her a horse was going to make up for the shitty nonconsensual haircut you gave her last year? She looked pouty about that bob from when you gave it to her until it grew out.’

‘It’s not that. Well, it is a little, but in a year she hasn’t said anything to me while she planned her revenge.’

‘Family shit, right?’

Jev drew deeply on his cigarette, flicking the ash away from him as he exhaled. ‘Is my family more passive aggressive than others?’

‘I’m starting to wonder the same thing. My dad looks so uncomfortable when he has to talk about me to journalists. It’s like it hurts him to say nice stuff.’

‘Mine too.’

‘Yeah, you said in that interview that the second thing your dad said when he called after you won in New York was, “What happened in quali?” It’s like we’ll never be good enough for them.’

‘Makes us who we are, right? Gives us the competitive edge over people whose fathers loved them.’

‘Yeah. Something like that.’

Jev put his arm around Mitch’s shoulder, holding his smoke at arm’s length away from Mitch. ‘It’s okay, man. Mel Robbins loves us. She can be the loving parent we wished our dads were when we were younger.’

Mitch leaned his head against Jev’s shoulder and closed his eyes, feeling glad he’d dragged himself from the safe, private nest he’d made himself in the Monaco flat to lick his wounds after Christmas with the family. Jev rested his cheek against Mitch's hair. He felt like, for a brief moment in time, all was well with the world.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is smut, and will be posted to the same series, but in a different thread, out of deference to the aces/teens/people in the crowd who'd rather not read filthy Mitchy


End file.
